NZ Net is the national amateur radio net of Aotearoa New Zealand, operating every Monday-Friday evening.
All radio amateurs are invited to check into the net on 3535.0 kHz, starting at 2100 (9pm) NZT.
Purposes of the net
- To encourage CW operation
- To provide training and experience in CW net operation
- To provide training and experience in CW message handling
How the net works
You do not have to have traffic for the net, or even be interested in traffic handling, in order to check into the net. All check-ins are welcome, even just to say hello and exchange signal reports.
The net runs at 20-25 wpm, but will slow down if necessary to match your speed.
The net is brief (less than 15 minutes if no traffic). Longer chats occur after the net has closed.
CW nets use quite a few abbreviations and Q Codes, but we’ll try to stick to the most important ones. If you don’t understand something, just send “?” and we will spell it out in plain language.
Here’s an example of how a typical net would proceed.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information, or to join our email list and receive the fortnightly newsletter NZ Net News.
– Neil ZL1NZ, NZ Net Manager
Resources
NZ Net Flier (Distribute at club meetings, hamfests, etc. A4 size PDF file opens in a new browser tab.)
NZ Net Guide for Newcomers (Follow along on a typical net.)
NZ Net News Archive (Read our fortnightly newsletter.)
Listen Online If this NZ-based SDR is not available, choose another one and dial it to 3535.0 kHz, CW mode. NZ Net is Mon-Fri at 2100 hours NZT, which is 0900 UTC from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in September and 0800 UTC the rest of the year.
NZ Net Audio Archive (Hear traffic, trivia questions, monthly reports, entire net sessions, and more.)
NZ Net Membership. This is our continuously updated map of member stations. To maintain their membership, stations need to have checked into the NZ Net at least 25 times during the latest 12 months.
Q Signals for Amateur Radio, Including Nets (PDF file opens in a new browser tab.)
Radiogram Forms (PDF file opens in a new browser tab.)
Further reading
ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) Manual
How to handle a “book” of messages
1987: A look at 3rd party traffic and North American traffic nets
Thanks to Lou VK5EEE, a CW expert who provided many of the ideas implemented on the NZ Net.